Monday, September 28, 2009

This morning Indi (aged eight), and I found ourselves home alone for a few hours and decided to make an owl softie.

First off, we heat set one of the owls we screen printed yesterday. We did this by ironing the back of it.

She then drew around the shape of the owl adding a couple of centimetres, the seam allowance.

Then she cut along the line she had just drawn.

Earlier in the week we had been to the local craft shop to buy some elastic and the girls chose a fat quarter each for holiday crafting. I love letting them buy fabric because it is guilt free shopping for me. Indi chose this floral print.

The printed side of the owl and the right side of the floral were placed face to face and then the two were pinned together.

Indi then cut the floral fabric by tracing around the owl shape.

At this point I decided she was probably ready for a quick sewing machine lesson so I got out my old Bernina, saved for exactly this moment, and set it up.

I showed her the basics and then drew a whole lot of squiggly lines on some fabric which she traced using the machine. She got it so quickly and was dying to make something.

She then machine sewed around the line of the owl print that could be seen from the wrong side. Obviously this seam could also be hand sewn.

I marked a big line on the fabric for where she had to stop sewing. A gap between the start of the seam and the end has to be left for turning the right way out and stuffing. The gap was about eight or ten centimetres wide.

She then pushed the owl through that space we left in the stitching to turn it the right way out. She used the wrong side of a texta to press into the ears to push them right out into shape.

And then she stuffed him with enough stuffing to give him a good shape but not too full or he wouldn't be cuddly.

I forgot to take a photo of the seam she sewed to close him up. Obviously there are ways to do invisible, neat closing seams, but as we were in need of a quick finish at this point in time she just machine sewed along the outside.

Then, assuming we had finished, I left her to go and make a call and when I got back she was accessorising her owl by sewing him a scarf.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

I've sewn in the last label and I'm delivering frilly bloomers to the new Lark shop this morning.

My (our) creative space this week, the first week of the school holidays, is here at the girls' art and craft table. It's been awful, wet and windy weather outside, so this is where we are spending a lot of our time.

The making area is just off the main living area but still in the same room. Here the girls can express themselves and make a bit of a mess while they are at it.

There are lots of bits and pieces to inspire them to create. We seem to accumulate crafty equipment, bits of nature and odds and ends we come across because you never know when you'll need just that right bit. Sometimes it's that bit that inspires a whole new project.

And we have a big cupboard to store all their crafty bits and pieces in. Looks like that top shelf is in need of a tidy.

At times it does get sticky, covered in glitter or so covered in art work that you can't see the table or find what you are looking for, but it's a small price to pay for having a space that encourages making and creating.